Feed-cutter



(NoM0de1.)-

O. C. LITTLE.

. FEED CUTTER.

No. 384,208. Patented June 5, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ORTON O. LITTLE, OF MENASHA, WISCONSIN.

FEED-C UTTER.

$PECIPICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 384,208, dated June 5,1888.

Application filed May 10, 1886. Serial No, 201,646. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, ORTON O. LITTLE,acitizen of the United States,residing at Menasha, in the county of Winnebago and State of Wisconsin,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Feed-Cutters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the devices used in removingthe feed from the immediate vicinity of the'cutter after it has passedthrough it and been subjected to the action of the cutters and madefine, and also in the mechanism for the separation of the dust and lightforeign substances from the cut material; and the object of it is todiminish the labor required for its removal and separation incident tothe use of feedcutters as heretofore made, to leave the feed in thedesired location in a comparatively clean and dustless and consequentlymore valuable condition for feeding purposes, and, furthermore, toprotect the operators from the dangers incident to feed'cutters havingrapidly-revolving knives. I attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an endelevation of a feed-cutter, viewing it from the left hand of Fig. 2, andhaving one side of its circular case removed, showing the spider towhich the knives are secured, their form, &c. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe same as seen from the right hand of Fig. 1, the circular case 6being in section and taken upon the line 00 a: of Fig. 1.

Similar figures of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

1 is the frame of the cutter, supporting the revolving cuttingmechanism, and rests upon the legs 2 2. In the bearings 3 3 is arevoluble shaft, 3', upon which is firmly secured a rimless wheel orspider, to each of whose arms 4 4 4 are bolted the knives 5 5 5,whichapproach in form the section of a ring. Inclosing the spider is acircular casing, 6, having at its side an opening for the admission ofthe material to be cut, and at one side of its circumference one for itsdischarge leading to the spout 7, which spout may extend to the heightand distance required by its particular location and the material to becut. The arms of the spider project from the axial line of the shaft 3at a right angle, the body of the arm, the length of that portion uponwhich the vcuttingknives are secured, being thin in a direction parallelwith said shaft. Both arms and cutters are curved in the plane of theirrotation, the outer curve of which precedes in their revolution.

Upon the extremity of the arms 4, integral with them, are enlargements4, which both give the necessary momentum or force to the knives whenrapidly revolved to withstand the shock caused by their cutting action,and serve as heaters to separate the dust from the material being cut,and also produce a strongcurrent of air within the case 6, which, withthe force given to the cut material by the rotary motion of the knives,carries both the feed and dust in the direction the knives are revolvedand out through the spout 7, depositing the feed at a distance from themachine proportionate to the speed at which the cutters are revolved,and the dust and lighter foreign substances at a distance beyond, andleaving the feed comparatively clean.

The superiority of a spider for carrying the cutters over a wheel havinga rim in a feedcutter within a circular case lies in the absence of anyobstruction to the free exit of the cut material, there being no cornersor obstructions caused by the rim to prevent the ready escape of all thecut material. The hay or straw cannot accumulate around itscircumference, producing friction upon the walls of the case andretarding its speed. It also has the advantage of producing an equallystrong current of air within the case with a less amount and weight ofmaterial, thus diminishing the cost of its construction and the frictionon bearings 3 3.

The circular case 6 not only confines the air for the formation of apowerful current neces sary for the separation of the dust from thematerial being cut and their deposition in the desired locality, butalso serves as a complete protection against injuries from the revolvingcutters to the operators while in the perfornr ance of their dutiesabout the machine. The revolving and cutting mechanism being completelyincased within the case 6, no part is exposed by which the operator mayreceive injuries by coming in contact therewith.

The shaft 3 may be revolved by a person turning it with a crank on itsextremity, an-' other person feeding the hay or straw to the cuttersthrough the Opening 8 in the box 8; or it may be driven by horse, steam,or other power applied in any convenient manner, and the hay or strawassisted to enter the opening 8 by means of feeding devices in the box8, which are operated in any of the numerous methods in use, or may beadapted to the particular conditions of their construct-ions, or to thematerial to be out. It is more particularly designed for what is termeda power feed cutter, and where large quantities are to be cut, the feedwhen out being then piled in a -15 large pile ata considerable distancefrom the cutter, and obviating the necessity of an at tendant for thatpurpose. It thus substitutes steam or animal power for manual labor,adds to the rapidity with which the work may be accomplished, to thesafety of the limbs and lives of the operators, to the convenience inbeing able to accumulate a large quantity in a place, to the purity andvalue of the feed, and lessens the cost of producing these results;

I am aware of the inventions-the English patent-s, J ohnsons of 1883,April 20, No. 2,010; Sawdons of 1802, July 28, No. 2,637; Archers of1851, January 11, No. 13,443, and American patents, N. McLeod otFebruary 15, 1870, No. 99,931, and R. B. Humphrey of June 9, 1885, No.309,928-and do not claim, broadly, a revoluble spider or rimless wheelhaving cutters secured to its arms; neither do I claim a wheel having arim and cutters secured to its arms and running within a circular case,it having openings for the admission and discharge of the material beingoperated upon; but

\Vhat I do claim is- In a feed-butter, the combination of a revolubleSpider having the curved arms 4, and curved knives 5, secured upon theouter curve ot' the arms, said arms being thin the length of the knivesin a direction transverse to their plane of rotation, and having theirouter extremities extending beyond the knives and enlarged in theaforesaid directionand forming the fan-wings 4, surrounding said spider,with the circular case 6, having the opening 8 in its side and theelevating discharge-spout 7 in its circumference, all arranged and operating substantially as described.

OR'ION O. LITTLE. Witnesses:

M. M. Sorron'rz, FRED. XV. PLEASANTS.

